National Republican., 1887-04-18
SECRET SOCIETIES.
REV. DIR. TALMAGE'S SUNDAY DIS
COURSE AT THE TABERNACLE.
The Brooklyn Divine Talks on the
Moral Effect OF Free Masonry, Odd
Fellowship, Knights OF Labor, and
Other Societies Secret In Their Nature.

BROOKLYN, Apr. 1.-THE Rev. T. De Witt
Talmage d. D., announced to his congrega-
tion to-day that as the Brooklyn Tabernacle
has been uncomfortably crowded for many
years the trustees have purchased the adjon-
ing gronnd, on which q great church, prayer
ana Sunday school room will be built. which
on Sabbaths can be opened into the main audi
torium, thus giving room for at least a thou
sand more hearers at services. Six thousand
people are crowded into the present building,
1850 Of these in pews and about 1900 seated In
aisles ard standing The improvement will
add greatly to this capacity.
was, what ia the Moral Eject Of ' Free y Ma MAJ
sonry, odd Fellowship, Knight Of Labor, Greek
Alphabet, and Other societies?'' The text was
from PEoyerbs KY O. "DssGyer not secret
II appears that in solomon's time, as in all
subsequent periods Of the world, there were
people TOO much disposed e tell all they y
revealing the case Of their patients lawyers
exposing the private affairs of their clients,
ihs faults Of the next
condolences One.half OF the trouble of every
community comes from the fact that so many
people have not capacity to keep their mouths
you my first duty is not to tell you. But If
tell you what somebody has said against you,
and then go out and tell everybody else what
what tod them that r. told s yon una and % we shI ali 20
out. some to hunt up the originator Of the story
and others TO hunt II down, We shall get the
whole community talking about what you did
do and whnt you did not do, and there will be
as many scalps taken as though a band of
Modocs had swept upon a helpless village.
physiological suggestion that we ought to hear a
good deal more than we tell. Let usj join con.
tpiracy that we will tell each other all the good
and nothing Of the i'll, and then there will not
be such awful need OF sermons on Solomon's
words: Discover not a secret to another"
Solomon had very large domestic circle.
tions about monogamy and polygamy, and his
multitudinous associates in the matrimonial
state kept him too well informed as to what
was going on In Jerusalem. They gathered up
all the priyacies Of the city and poured them
into his ear, and his family became a sorosis,
or female debating society of 7O0 discussing
day after day oil the difficulties between hus-
bands and wives, between. employers and em-
ployes, between rulers and subjects, until Solo.
mon, in my text, deplores volubility about
affairs that do not belong to us and extols the
virtue OF secretiveness.
BY the power OF a secret diyulged families,
chuIches, neighb0rhoods, nations fly apart.
BY the power of a secret kept great charities,
socialities, .reformatory movements, and
Christian enterprises may be advanced. Men
are gregarious-c in herds, fish In schools,
birds in hocks, men In social circles. You may
by the discharge of gun scatter flock of
quails or by the plunge OF the anchor send
apart the denizens Of the sea, but they will
ghtnef themselves tOgetnef again. III you, Dy
some new power, could break the associations
In which men now stand. they would again
adhere, God meant II so. He has gathered
all the flowers and shrubs into associations.
You may plant one forget.me.not or hearts.
eaie alone, away of upon the hillside, but 1t
VIII soon hunt up some other forget'me'not or
heartsease. Plants love company You
VIII hnd them talking TO each other In the
dew. galaxy of stars Ia only mutual life
insurance company, You sometimes see
man with no outbranchings of
ships mast ioe-glazed, which the most agile
sailor could never climb. Others have a
thousand roots and thousand branches In
numerable tendrils climb their hearts, and
blossom all the way up, and the fowls OF
heaven sing in the branches In consequences
ofthis tendency we find men coming together
in tribes In communities In Churches in
societies, Some gather together TO cultivate
the arts, some to plan for the welfare OF the
state, some to discuss rel .glous themes, some
TO kindle their mirth, some to advance their
craft. So every active community Is divided
into associations of artists. OF merchants OF
bookbinders; Of carpenters, of masons. OF
plasterers, of shipwrlghts, Of plumbers. DO
you cry out against M Then you cry ont
against tendency divinely implanted. Your
TRADES would accomplish ne more than II you
should preach TO busy ant.hill or beehive a
long sermon against secret societies.
Hero we find the oft.dlscussed question